Origin and Early History of the Order of Patrons of Husbandry in the United States (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1911 Excerpt: ...13,885, West Virginia 5,990. The Northern States having the largest membership were Illinois 29,063, Indiana 60,298, Iowa 51,332, Kansas 40,261, Michigan. 33,196, Minnesota 16,617, New York 11,723 (1904 approximately 60,000), Ohio 53,327, Pennsylvania 22,471, Wisconsin 17,226, Vermont 10,193, the other states having membership running down to about 400. It was at this session of the National Grange that the committee reported on the Form of Dedication for grange halls, the committee reporting that the Order was indebted to the pen of Brother J. R. Thompson for this long-needed and well-supplied addition to the ritual. We find in the record for one day in the 1875 session the following memorandum: "Brother Hinckley, in behalf of the Knickerbocker Grange, No. 154, New York City, presented to the National Grange a handsomely bound Bible to lay upon its altar. The present was accepted with the thanks of the National Grange.' This brings out the interesting fact that there were in New York City men and women who were 'interested in agricultural pursuits" and therefore eligible to membership in the Patrons of Husbandry. But the New York City grange was short-lived of necessity. It was composed of 45 members, all wealthy men, among whom were bank presidents, sewing machine manufacturers and WaH street speculators. We are reminded also that in the previous year there had been some trouble with the, grange organized in Boston, Mass. It seems that th- Boston grange was organized in 1873 and was composed of a class "commonly known as middlemen." It appears from a report of the committee, considered at a later day in the session, that these "undesirable' members were grain dealers, commission men, a reporter, an editor of a business paper, ...